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Honesty and Integrity at Any Age

I will say up front that I am totally impressed by this young 7-year old golfer who returned his trophy after he realized he signed his scorecard with the wrong score. He provides an outstanding example of honesty and integrity that all golfers should aspire to!

I thought it was important to share this story and instead of trying to recap, I thought I would copy a news article in its entirety. The article comes from ESPN.

If ever your faith in sports hits a nadir, remember the name Yago Horno Mateo.

The 7-year-old won a golf tournament in Spain last Saturday by shooting 50, which is impressive in its own right. After getting home and realizing he really shot a 51 — and his father told him that signing an incorrect scorecard is grounds for disqualification — the young boy wanted to return the trophy, according to El Mundo.

Young Yago decided to write a letter to his local golf association explaining the situation.

According to a translation on the Daily Mail’s website, the 7-year-old “was very worried about the reaction of others. It was a genuine mistake but he didn’t want anyone to think that he was a cheat, and he really didn’t want [his mother] to know,” his father, Kostka Horno, said.

Not surprisingly, the boy’s father has received plenty of praise for his son’s actions. And the Royal Andalusia Golfing Federation spoke highly of Yago, too.

“We want to recognize this wonderful gesture of a player who, at a mere seven years of age, has proven to be a true gentleman,” the federation said in a statement published on the Daily Mail’s website. “He has already learnt that the most important thing golf can teach us: honesty and a respect of the rules and of your peers.”

The bigger lesson here? We could all learn a few things from a 7-year-old.

Thank you to Yago Horno Mateo for providing an example that all golfers should follow.

For #GolfChat this will my highlight of the week. For a 7-year old to do is nothing short of amazing and shows me the game we love is in good shape and in good hands. Glad you wrote about it. Thanks, Mike